Pencil-like implement



Dec.l 3, 1946. I G. D. NELSON 2,411,975

I PNC IL-LIKE IMPLEMENT Filed Jan. 22, 1945 GEORGE D*.NELs oN, INVHvToR.

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 3, 1.*946

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PENomLiKE IMPLEMENT George D. Nelson, Los Angeles, Calif. Application January 22, 1945, Serial No. 573,851

(C1. 12o- 13)l The invention relates to a pencil-like implement for housing, advancing and retracting a stick of material such as a crayon, or eraser of rubber or other material, or, in fact, Ta stick f buffing material or the like.

An object of the vinvention is to provide a inanually-'operable feed mechanism and casing arrangement wherein the stick of material may be almost as long as the length of the implement itself, and wherein the casing of the implement may accommodate a stick which lls a major portion of the bore or casing.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an implement having a feed mechanism which is simple in construction and wherein the device is reversible in that the feed mechanism may be mounted in either end ofthe casing.

For further details of the invention reference may be made to the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an enlarged, longitudinal sectional View of a pencil-like implement according to the present invention. y

Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, are sectional views on lines having corresponding numbers in Fig. 1.

lFig. 7 is a schematic, longitudinal sectional view of the implement of Fig. '1, enlarged about one and one-half times.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the implement I f this invention is shaped somewhat like a pencil and comprises an elongated, cylindrical casing 2 which may b e of plastic or other` material, and provided with an internal screw' thread 3. The thread 3 preferably extends the full length of the casing 2 to effect an economy in assembling the device in that the parts are reversible as will be explained hereafter. At 'the rear end of casing 2 is provided a rotatable cap' 4 in whichy is secured a central plug 5 having a plug extension B which frictionally ts in the bore of the threads 3, to prevent lcap 4 and itsY associated parts from accidentallydropping out. It has been found that this frictional engagement, plus some added friction later described, is suilicient for the purpose, although a more complicated arrangement may be provided, if desired, for rotatably supporting cap 4 in\ the end of casing 2.

Adjacent the periphery of plug 6 is secured a spindle in the form of a pair of diametrically opposite thin metal strips 'I and 8 which extend substantially parallel to each other for almost the full length of the casing 2. The forward ends of the strips 'I and 8 are suitably secured as by means of solder 9 to a sleeve I9 of thin metal and having an external diameter slightly less than 2 the internal diameter of the thread 3, the inside f ring or lsleeve I0 having a bore II in which sli'dably'ts the stick I2, which may be an eraser, crayon, buing stick or the like.

Rotatably tting in the thread 3 is a nut I3 having a mating external thread I4. The nut I3 at diametrically opposite points in its periphery has shallow grooves or recesses I5 and I6, as shown in Fig. 4, to slidably t and receive the strips I and 8, respectively. Integral with the front onut I3 and arranged between the strips I ands is a cylindrical sleeve Il serving as a holder for the rear end I8 of the stick I2. The holder Il 'serves t0 removably hold frictionally or otherwise, the rear end I8 of the stick so that an old 'stick may be removed and a new one inserted and held therein.

In order to iise up as much of the stick I2 as possible, preferably the external diameter of the holder I'I is slightly less than the` sleeve ID so that the mit I3 can be advanced until the holder' I'I fits within the sleeve I0.

Atthe' front 0f Casing 2 there is provided a tip I9 having a conical wall 20 having a hollow conical bore 2l which converges to an outlet 22 in which the forward end 23 of th'e stick slidingly iits.'A The rear end of tip I9 is provided with a reduced section 24 having an yexternal screw thread 2 5 to t in the casing thread 3.

The parts above-described are reversible, as the tip VI9 may be screwed into either end 4of the casing' 2, the plug extension S will frictionally engage the thread 3 at either end of casing 2, and the nut I3 may be screwed into the casing 2 at either end thereof. This eiiects an economy in the manufacture and assembly of the device.

The'` added frictional means which serves to aid in frictionally holding the rotatable cap 4 on the end ofthe casing may result from frictional engagement between the sleeveA I0 and the vscrew threads 3, resulting from the fact that the metal strips' 'I Vandii are quite flexible and due to lthis andalso to accidentalcon-nection of these strips Vto the sleeve I 0 out of alignment, the sleeve I0 may, due to spring action of the strips 'I and 8y tend to assume an offset position.

By rotating the cap 4 in one direction or the other, the strips I and 8 serve to advance or retract the nut I3 and the holder I'I and stick I2 carried thereby.

In effect, a three-point support is provided for the stick I2, as it is supported at its rear end by the holder I'I, at an intermediate point by the sleeve I0, and at its forward point by the outlet 22.

The converging conical bore 2I serves to guide the forward end 23 of the stick outwardly through the tip I9.

As shown in Fig. 7, nut I3 may be retracted to the rear end of the casing 2, and the stick IZ may be substantially as long as the casing 2. Also, ring I0 may be thin and large enough to loosely fit in the threaded bore of casing 2, and strips 'I and 3 may be thin and extend close to the threads 3, where the diameter of stick I2 may be more than one-half and, in fact, about three-quarters or more of the internal diameter of bore of threads 3 in the casing 2.

As rubber deteriorates when exposed to the light, and as it may become soiled when handled,

both of these defects are overcomein thecase that the stick I2 is a rubber eraser, because the casing 2 excludes the light from the eraser and prevents it from becoming soiled.

An ordinary pencil eraser, such as the one usually provided on the end of a lead pencil, tends to creep out of its ferrule or holder when the eraser is in use. This is prevented in the usual case by crimping the holder into the body of the eraser. By actual test of the implement of Fig. 1, it has been found that when employing an elongated rubber eraser for the stick I2, it does not creep outl of its holder Il, illustrated as a cylindrical cup, evfen though the interior wall of holder Il is smooth, as illustrated. In one of the tests the inside wall of the holder Il was provided with a partial screw thread to grip the rear end of the eraser, but it was found that this was not necessary. The rear end of the cup-shaped holder Il may be provided with a rearwardly converging conical portion 26 and the rear end I8 of the eraser I2 may be similarly tapered to fit therein. The reason why the rubber eraser does not creep out of the holder Il is probably due to the fact that when the eraser is in use, all of the flexing of the eraser takes place either at the outlet 22 or at least Abetween the outlet 22 and the intermediate support provided by the ring I, whereby there is no lateral flexing or creeping tendency at the holder I'l, while the downward pressure on the forward end of the eraser pushes it more rmly in the holder Il. Therefore, it is unnecessary to crimp the holder I1 into the body of the eraser as is ordinarily done with a lead pencil eraser, but instead the holder I1 may constitute means for removably holding the rear end of the eraser which facilitates its insertion and removal.

Various modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit of the following claims. For example, one may dispense with the reversible feature above-described and make the tip I9 integral with the casing 2.

I claim:

1. A pencil-shaped implement for a stick of material, viz, crayon, eraser or the like, said implement comprising a casing having anv elongated cylindrical wall, a screw thread on the inside'of said wall, a nut in said casing rotatably fitting posed recesses in the periphery thereof, a holder for the rear end of said stick on the forward end of said nut, a rotatable cap on the rear end of said casing, a, pair of substantially parallel strips secured at their rear ends to said cap and slidably receiving and tting said recesses, a ring secured to the forward ends of said strips, said ring having a bore to slidably support an intermediate portion of the stick, the forward end of said casing comprising a conical wall providing a converging bore, the forward end of said conical wall defining an outlet in which the stick slidingly ts, said conical wall serving to guide the stick to said outlet.

2. A pencil-shaped implement for a stick of material, viz, crayon, eraser or the like, said implement comprising a casing having an elongated cylindrical wall, a screw thread on the inside of said wall the full length thereof, a nut in said casing rotatably tting said screw thread, means on said nut for removably holding the rear end of said stick, a rotatable cap tting either end of said casing, said cap having a smooth plug portion frictionally tting in the threaded end of said casing wall at either end thereof, a conical tip providing a converging bore, the rear of said tip having an external screw thread tting in said casing thread at the other end of said casing, the forward end of said tip defining an outlet in which the stick slidingly fits, said tip having a conical wall serving to guide the stick to said outlet.

3. A pencil-shaped implement according to claim 1, wherein said strips are thin and closely adjacent to said casing thread, said holder, said ring bore and said outlet being constructed and arranged to accommodate a stick having a cross sectional area at least as large as one half of the cross sectional area of the inside of said casing.

4. A pencil-shaped implement for a stick of material, viz., crayon, eraser or the like, said implement comprising a casing having an elongated 4 5' cylindrical wall, a screw thread on the inside of said wall, a nut in said casing rotatably tting said screw thread, said nut having a shallow recess in the periphery thereof, a holder for the f rear end of said stick on said nut, a rotatable 'I cap on the rear end of said casing, and an elonaccommodate a stick having a cross sectional area as large as the major portion of the cross sectional area of the inside of said casing.

GEORGE D. NELSON. 

